


Different Times

by lovefaun



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Family, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 02:24:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20283847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovefaun/pseuds/lovefaun
Summary: AU where Talltail and Jake raise Rusty together.I’ve seen several people do something like this in other places so I wanted to give it my own shot.





	Different Times

“Rusty!”

A loud meow sounded across the clearing as a plump, ginger tom hastily bounded towards a little kit, plucking the kitten off the ground with his teeth and moving him away from the hazard he spotted—a stream.

“Dad!” the little kit protested, swiping his paws upwards as his father tenderly grasped the scruff of his fluffy neck and moved him away from his previous spot. He had been crouched by the stream with clumsy kitten footing, planning on pouncing on a frog he had spotted beneath the reeds. At the sound of the older tom’s heavy footsteps, the frog had quickly darted away with a hop and a _splash_ into the water, ruining Rusty’s fun. “You scared the frog!”

“Forget about the frog, you would have scared me if you had fallen in! You’re only 3 moons—oh, Talltail, won’t you come help with our son and explain to him?” 

From afar, a slim, black and white cat watched the interaction, letting a low purr of satisfied amusement rumble from deep within his chest. Lazily, the lanky tom stood, stretching his legs before he calmly padded forward. “Jake’s right,” Talltail meowed thoughtfully as he peered down at their curious, excited son. “You’re very young—and very small, for that matter. If you’re not careful, you could get swept away.”

Rusty huffed, fluffing his thick, orange, kitten-soft pelt out defensively. He leaned down towards the stream, dipping a little paw in as he felt the current brush against his fur. “I’d be careful,” he muttered to himself. He stood back up straight and shook his wet paw, drying it in the air. “Just wait until I get bigger!”

“That’ll be quite a bit from now, Rusty,” Talltail mewed and leaned down to press his nose to his son’s forehead. The affectionate gesture earned a soft purr out of the kit. Before any more words could be spoken, the kit’s attention was dragged away as a butterfly fluttered past, and within a short moment Rusty was chasing after it, skipping freely in the air with his paws happily flailing in front of him.

The two older toms watched as their kit played, determined to make the catch. Talltail turned to his mate, their eyes not meeting as he observed him. He felt a small purr from within himself, amused by how easily strung his usually carefree and happy-go-lucky friend had gotten.

“He’s getting braver and braver by the day,” Talltail looked away from his mate and stared back off where their son had run off, watching him as he continued to play without any signs of tiring out any time soon. “Within a couple of moons he’ll be challenging the whole world.”

Jake stayed comfortably silent for a short moment as he watched Rusty, feeling content. Finally, bright, green eyes met comforting yellow ones. “You think so?”

“I think it’s better to say I _know_ so.” The two shared a moment filled with amused purrs. They sat close together, a bushy, red tail tangling with a long, thin, black and white one. Their tails still tangled, the two toms laid down in the soft grass, pressed against each other comfortingly as they felt the heat of the sun warm their backs. Both toms groomed each other, their movement growing lazy as they became sleepy. The licking of tongues against soft pelts stilled to a complete stop as the mates fell asleep underneath the comforting heat of the sun lapping at their fur.

— —

_Talltail stirred lazily as he slowly came to his senses. He did not want to awaken just yet, comfortable in his nest, but the consistent feeling of something gently prodding his side disrupted his slumber and kept him awake. With a small grumble, the tom lifted his gaze, meeting the green eyes of his mate._

_“Tallstar, it’s time to get up. You’ve slept quite enough—you’re worse than a badger! You have something important to tend to, remember?” Jake mewed urgently, staring at his mate expectantly._

_Wait—Tallstar? The black and white tom looked at the ginger one, confusion obvious in his behavior as his ears flattened and his long tail swished anxiously. He wasn’t a leader, though!_

_Jake rolled his eyes with a rumble of purred laughter. “Don’t tell me you forgot!” the tom playfully headbutted his mate. “Our son, remember? He becomes an apprentice today!”_

_Feeling strange, Talltail—or, rather, Tallstar—quickly gathered himself up on his paws. His steps were hesitant and unsure as he padded forward, leaving the den with his mate happily following along behind him. Tallstar flinched as sunlight rushed into his eyes and flooded his vision. Within a short moment his eyesight adjusted and he blinked, looking around. _

_The first thing he saw was an unusual crowd of cats gathered right beneath where the leader announced meetings. It was abnormally big for a Clan, too. He saw cats he knew within the crowd, as well as cats he had met maybe once or twice in passing. Maybe even cats that weren’t in WindClan to begin with._

_Above everything else, Tallstar saw his son in the crowd, his bright, green eyes sparkling widely with amazement and wonder, staring up at his father with awe. His flaming orange pelt shone brightly like sunlight, lighting the whole crowd._

_Forgetting the strange moment, Tallstar was so caught up in his pride that he lifted his chin with a small purr and announced the call for a meeting._

_“It has come time we announce a new apprentice,” he purred confidently, listening to the sound of Jake’s proud purring sound beside him. Excited whispers from the crowd roared in his ears and it felt like time seemed to slow until the hushed mews grew silent. _

_“Step forward, young one,” Tallstar mewed, not being able to hide the pride in his voice. He didn’t even have to say his name as his yellow eyes locked with the glimmering green ones of his son. The crowd moved slightly to make way for the young tom as he came closer, looking up at his two fathers with excitement._

_Tallstar met his green gaze and lovingly blinked his eyes before taking a deep breath and continuing. “From this day on until you earn your warrior name, you will be...”_

— —

“Talltail!” a soft mew called as Talltail was shaken out of his sleep. He rolled over on his back, peering up, meeting the loving green eyes of Jake as his mate loomed over him. With a groan, still tired from being woken so abruptly, the lanky tom rolled back on his stomach and tried to shut his eyes.

“You’re not the only one who got woken up!” Jake joked with a light purr as he playfully batted at the black and white tail that swished in the air irritatedly. “You were mewing in your sleep like a newborn kit!”

Talltail felt unbothered as he didn’t respond, continuing to try and catch some more rest. His mate just wouldn’t let him have the satisfaction, however.

“Did you have a dream or something?” Jake mewed a question, his curiosity genuine and leaking obviously from his tone. “A nightmare, perhaps?”

“A dream, yes,” Talltail meowed, admitting defeat and giving into the ginger tom’s questions. He sat up with a flick of his ear, tone slightly curious as he recalled his own dream. “It wasn’t a nightmare, but it was...strange.”

Jake tilted his head to the side, tail twitching as he looked up at his mate. “How so?”

Talltail stayed silent, looking off into the distance, his gaze wandering until it landed on a fuzzy orange ball of kitten fluff still playing in the distance. “How long did we sleep?”

Jake looked up at the sun. “It wasn’t too long, I don’t think. Why?”

“We should probably hunt soon,” the black and white tom mused, his attention mostly idle at this point.

The plump, ginger cat nodded in agreement. He took one more glance at the sky before looking back to his mate. With a teasing purr, he meowed, “Okay, I answered your question, so answer mine! Or am I going to have to force it out of you?” Without giving the other cat a chance to speak, Jake stood up and plopped himself down on top of the slim tom, his weight and build keeping Talltail situated on the ground.

Talltail huffed at the weight on his back as his mate laid on top of him with a proud purr, but he didn’t give in so easily. “It was nothing—the thought was kind of mousebrained anyways.” His answer only made the ginger tom sprawl out on top of him, squeezing more air out of him. With a rumbling purr of laughter, Talltail admitted defeat. “Okay, okay, you win! I’ll tell you!”

“I knew that would work,” Jake shared his laughter as he rolled off, landing in the grass right beside him. He laid on his back comfortably, looking up at his mate. “So?” 

Talltail took a deep breath, suddenly shy. He tried not to let it get to him, knowing that Jake was waiting expectantly. “Well, I had a dream that...I was back in WindClan.”

“That’s not very strange,” Jake spoke soothingly, sensing the hesitancy in his mate’s tone. “You grew up there. I know you miss it sometimes.”

“That’s not it, though. I was a leader! The weirdest thing is—_you_ were there, and so was Rusty. And...I dreamt we were having his apprentice ceremony, too. I was about to give him his name, and then...”

“You woke up,” Jake finished Talltail’s sentence slowly as he processed the information. The black and white tom looked at the other for a short moment before nodding.

“That’s still not strange,” the ginger cat purred to him, batting one of his ears with a large paw. “Lighten up, Talltail! At least it wasn’t a nightmare.”

“You’re right,” Talltail meowed, his tail lashing anxiously. He suddenly felt a strange sensation of homesickness. He knew, however, he could never return because he knew that kind of life just wasn’t for his mate. He’d rather forget his Clan ever even existed if it meant spending the rest of his life with his family.

Picking up on the sudden change in mood, Jake softened and nuzzled into Talltail’s neck, trying to comfort him. “I know you miss your old home. If you ever need to return, just tell me. I’d miss you terribly though.”

“Of course, but you know I’d never leave you,” Talltail purred as he pressed his nose to Jake’s own. “It was just a silly dream. I won’t think on it too much.”

“I just want you to be happy,” Jake mewed softly, pressing into the touch. Any further words were interrupted as the two heard excited, approaching footsteps. The toms parted touches and looked forward, spotting their son bounding forward.

“Look at what I caught!” Rusty chirped proudly, his voice muffled as he held the butterfly by the wing between his tiny fangs. He spit it out and it dropped to the grass. 

“Good job!” Jake beamed at him, standing up. He playfully cuffed one of Rusty’s ears with his paw and the kit laughed as he nearly tumbled forward.

“Pretty soon you’ll be catching actual prey, like rabbits,” Talltail stated with a soft expression.

“Can’t I try now? I know I can do it,” Rusty mewed excitedly, his tail lashing with energy.

“Not yet. Your footing is still simply too clumsy right now, but I promise, in due time I’ll teach you.”

“Aww, okay,” Rusty mewed but he didn’t seem too disappointed. He rolled into the grass on his back and looked up at his fathers. “I’m starting to get hungry.” As if on cue, the small kit’s stomach sounded with a growl.

“We were planning on hunting soon,” Jake informed the kit as he peered up at Talltail. “You want to go? I can stay here with Rusty.”

“That’ll be good,” Talltail purred appreciatively as he pressed his nose into the tom’s pelt. Then, he turned to the kit, his green eyes staring hopefully up at one of his fathers. “I know you want to come, but for now you need to stay with Jake. It won’t be too many moons from now until I start taking you with me, alright?”

Surprisingly, without any fuss, Rusty settled with that answer and affectionately brushed up against his father’s legs. “Okay!” 

As Talltail began to head away, he turned back once to see Jake sprawling out in the grass and basking in the warm sun, his ginger pelt lighting up like fire, and Rusty joyfully bounding towards him and settling down right beside him with the same fiery orange pelt to match. With a pleased purr, the black and white tom continued on. He just couldn’t understand how he had gotten so lucky.

Talltail padded through open land, curiously peering into a forest up ahead. He could easily find a rabbit out here in the open, but he wondered to himself if he should attempt to catch a mouse as well. The woody area of nature wasn’t his typical hunting ground, but he was an experienced warrior so he figured he could adapt with little challenge. 

Deciding to try with the mouse first, Talltail padded into the direction of the forest, lifting his head and tasting the air as soon as he stepped foot in the area. He picked up on some scents, but none seemed to be of any prey. He picked up on three scents—all three very old and close to fading completely—that varied in age so he was able to figure out these animals had walked through here at different times and had not crossed paths. One scent he could tell was a dog and the second one a fox. The third scent was a strange one. It wasn’t an animal that Talltail recognized, but the most he could pick up is that it was some kind of canine as well. Deciding not to dwell on it, for he definitely did not want to cross these animals, he moved forward.

Successfully avoiding the scent trails of the three animals, Talltail stopped and scented the air again. This time, he picked up on a faint scent of prey somewhere off in the distance that only grew stronger as he crept forward, light on his paws. The closer he got, the more the scent made it obvious that it was a mouse. With nothing but the calming sound of nature in the forest, the tom was able to hear the faintest gentle rhythm of a tiny heartbeat in his ears as he approached the rodent.

Just ahead, the tom caught a glimpse of the tiny creature, its dull, brown fur hidden beneath the leaves. Looking closer, Talltail could see the mouse was chewing away at a pine straw in its mouth, focused on its meal and not so much its surroundings, taking note of its inattentive ears. 

Trying to stay on task, Talltail slowly got down close to the ground, keeping his pawsteps light and as soundless as possible as he began to sneak forward. He stopped once he was within range of being able to pounce on the rodent. As he got ready to go in for the kill, the mouse happened to look right at him and scurried off with a distressed squeak, forgetting the remainders of the pine needle it had been snacking on.

Letting out a quiet, frustrated hiss, the tom gave chase, knowing he was quite a fast runner. He kept the tiny ball of fur in his sights as he bounded after it, gaining up on it inch by inch the more the two creatures ran. Talltail took a chance and leaped, aiming for the creature and successfully landing on top of it, feeling a small life squirming underneath his paws in a desperate attempt to escape its upcoming fate. Without hesitancy, Talltail leaned down and swiftly ended its life with a quick nip, feeling the little, round rodent fall lifelessly limp under his paws. Satisfied, the tom picked up his catch and began his path on retracing his paw steps outside of the forest.

As he walked peacefully, he began thinking back on his life. What brought him to meet Jake was such an interesting story he’d have to tell Rusty one day when he was a little older. Talltail thought back to how he used to be—filled with anger, always so irritable over the littlest of things, ignoring the most important things while staying focused on a mindless journey....in the end, he supposed it had ended up taking him down a path that did more good than harm. He had a journey of self discovery, all while meeting his lifetime mate who was able to teach him peace just by showing him kindness, love, and patience. He could never have asked for anyone better.

When Talltail and Jake had parted ways in the past when the black and white tom left to find his place back in his Clan, he had thought that’d be the last time he’d ever see Jake, as painful as it sounded. He’d have been lying if he said he wasn’t surprised when one day, out of nowhere, the tom appeared in the territory with an alarming surprise for him. The memory brought a loving feeling deep inside him as he felt a pleased purr rumble in his throat.

_Talltail slowly crept along the moors, silently chasing the scent of a rabbit that had passed through. The scent was very fresh but he could not tell how far the long-eared rodent had gotten. His best assumption was that it could not have been too far from his current location. Putting all his focus on the scent trail, he continued on, occasionally braking to scent the air with mouth open._

_Peering up from the grass, the warrior could see the plump behind and cotton tail of the prey he had been hunting as it stopped to snack on something it found in the grass, unaware of its predator’s silent approach. Talltail began to stalk forward, his eyes glued onto his prey as he got closer and closer. Just a few more steps, and..._

_Before the warrior could successfully leap and finish the kill, the rabbit became aware of its surroundings as its head jolted up, tall ears perked with alertness. Not wanting to miss his chance, Talltail quickly pounced without hesitation, trying to redeem the moment. Much to his luck, the rabbit managed to just barely miss his clawing, deadly grasps, obviously spooked by something._

_With a quiet grunt, Talltail landed on the soft ground, his front paws splayed out in front of him as a sign of his failure. “I know I was quiet enough!” the tom hissed aloud to himself, confusion evident in his tone. He didn’t want to let the moment sour his mood for the rest of the day. Before he could get up to resume his hunt, a familiar rumble of laughter sounded out in a purr right behind him. A sweet voice he could recognize even from halfway across the territory and beyond._

_“I hope that wasn’t your dinner I scared off,” the voice spoke, still amused, as Talltail quickly gathered himself up on his paws, lifting himself up from the ground and turning around._

_“Jake!” the tom mewed gleefully, not being able to contain his excitement despite the fact that he sounded embarrassingly like a kit. Quickly, he checked his surroundings to make sure there were no border or hunting patrols, or any other cat who decided to hunt like him. Double checking that he was indeed alone, the black and white cat bounded forward happily, nuzzling Jake with a loud purr. The force of his nuzzle almost toppled the round ginger tom over but he steadied himself as he returned a pleased purr, brushing against Talltail’s pelt._

_“You don’t know how much I’ve missed you,” the warrior sighed, his voice muffled by flame colored fur as he affectionately buried his nose in Jake’s pelt, breathing in. “I love WindClan, but it’s just not the same without you.”_

_“I’ve missed you too,” Jake purred, licking Talltail’s head once. _

_Talltail brought his head away from the kittypet so he could look into his green eyes. “Why are you here? Not that I don’t want you here, it’s just if anyone else had found you, they might of...”_

_Jake hushed him with an amused purr. “I know. I wanted to show you something, actually. I think you deserve to see it.”_

_Curiosity sparked an interest deep with Talltail as he peered at Jake, ear flicking in wonder. “Like what?”_

_Jake didn’t answer immediately, stepping forward as he began to lick the grit and soil out of the warrior’s pelt from where he had fallen on the soft earth earlier. Pausing from his grooming, he offered, “It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you, would it?”_

_“I didn’t know it was a surprise to begin with,” Talltail purred as the ginger tom resumed grooming his pelt. The feeling tickled his chest slightly. “Can we go now?”_

_Jake finished cleaning the tom’s pelt and he parted with a brief nod before he began walking away, leading the way for the curious warrior. As Talltail followed along, in that moment he forgot about the hunt for a rabbit, and even his Clan._

_The walk felt like it took moons, but the black and white tom couldn’t tell if the walk was actually long, or if it was a short one but his curiosity was just making him impatient. His best assumption was that it was most likely about the same distance as the walk to Mothermouth. They were beyond the Clan territories, arriving in land that Clan cats never stepped foot on. It appeared they were getting closer._

_Jake arrived up on a hole in the ground. Scenting the air, Talltail picked up on the faint scent of a rabbit, but it was very old and stale. The hole must have belonged to a rabbit at some point but has long since been abandoned. For a brief moment, the hole brought back memories of WindClan before tunneling was forbidden. Quickly, his mind shoved the thoughts away, instead focusing on the present rather than the past. Underneath the old, fading rabbit scent, he could pick up a scent of something he couldn’t identify. He sensed a small hint of anxiety. Before he could figure out what it was, he spotted a ball of ginger fluff peek out of the hole and quickly cower back in._

_“He’s shy,” Jake purred as he shot a warm glance to the warrior before kneeling down, looking into the rabbit hole. “It’s me. It’s okay to come out, now. I have someone with me that you wanted to meet.”_

_With that, Talltail saw the flash of flaming fur again, and this time a pair of green eyes to accompany it, identical to Jake’s own. Slowly, the thing sheepishly revealed itself as it crept out from its hiding. The black and white tom hadn’t expected to be met with a young kitten, perhaps not even above one moon old._

_“Talltail,” Jake meowed, snapping the warrior from his thoughts as he looked at the other tom. “This is Rusty. My son.” _

_The kit looked up at him curiously, wide eyes blinking as he curiously peered up at him. Talltail purred and knelt down, meeting Rusty’s level. “Hello, young one,” the warrior greeted him with a soft purr. “I must say, you look exactly like your father.”_

_The comment seemed to strike a prideful nerve in the kit as he puffed out his chest in a proud way. He obviously looked up to his father a lot, and by the way he was gazing up at the lanky tom, there seemed to be a bit of wonder and admiration for Talltail as well._

_Standing back up straight, the black and white tom turned to Jake, a question in his eyes. “Where’s his mother?”_

_“With her housefolk,” the kittypet answered. “I decided to leave mine. When I told her I was leaving the area, she wanted me to take Rusty with her. He hasn’t been alive for long and he’s already a little adventurous thing—his heart and path is obviously set elsewhere.”_

_“Leave your twolegplace?” Talltail echoed, a hint of surprise lacing his tone. He had thought Jake would always stay there. When they first met, he had seemed perfectly content there for the rest of his life. “Why?”_

_“Given the chance that Rusty grew up and wandered off on his own one day, I’d rather be there with him,” Jake answered warmly, looking down at his kit. “Even though he was born around housefolk, his mother said he just could never truly settle down with that life. I can see he has big plans for when he’s older already.”_

_“You didn’t bring him to join WindClan, did you?” Talltail asked curiously. He hoped the question didn’t seem rude—he tried to make it as genuine as possible. Somewhere deep inside of him didn’t want the young kit to join, anyways. Not because he didn’t want him around, but more so he feared of the kit getting hurt in the harsh Clan life._

_Jake shook his head, then gazed into Talltail’s eyes, something hidden in his green eyes that showed there was something else he needed to say. This confirmed Talltail’s guess when the former kittypet meowed, “There was something else I wanted to talk to you about, actually.” _

_Before Talltail could prompt him to continue, Jake went on, with a small moment of hesitancy. “...I want you to come with us.”_

_Talltail tilted his head to the side, surprised by the tom’s bluntness. “But—My Clan....”_

_“I know,” Jake meowed softly, his voice warm and delicate. “It was only an offer. I was only saying because Rusty wanted to meet you after everything I’d told him about you. And...he’s come to see you as a father as well, just like me.”_

_Talltail felt his skin heat up underneath his pelt and he looked at the small kit, the green gaze still burning into him. Jake’s words had struck something deep within him and he couldn’t help the purr that tumbled from his throat. _

_“But I know your heart is with your Clan,” Jake mewed, understanding, before Talltail got the chance to speak again. “I want you to do what’s best for you, but the least I could do is give you the chance to meet Rusty.”_

_“I’ll go with you,” Talltail blurted out suddenly, surprising even himself. As much as he loved his Clan, he found himself wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of his time with the tom he had come to see as a mate._

_His answer seemed to surprise Jake as well. The ginger tom stepped forward, comfortingly pressing his nose to Talltail’s flank. “Are you sure?” he mewed, his tone unsure and hesitant. “I want you to be happy.”_

_“Of course. I want to be with you.”_

_“Shall you tell your Clan?” Jake asked and tipped his head to the side, the hesitance still evident in his behavior._

_He hadn’t thought about that. After coming back, he knew they wouldn’t be happy to hear him leaving again. He also wasn’t sure how they’d react to hearing he was running away with a kittypet. “I’ll leave silently. I just ask StarClan they don’t follow my scent.”_

_“Only if this is the best option for you,” Jake licked Talltail’s ear, to which the black and white tom nodded his head with a small purr. Together, the two walked on, the ginger kitten following close behind, expressing silent happiness that his father’s mate decided to join them._

Talltail was snapped out of his memories when he heard a soft rustling just up ahead. Silently, he set down the mouse he caught earlier and buried it in the soil, dropping down to a crouch as he silently crept forward, ears alert as the small prey moved around underneath the leaves. It certainly was too small to be a rabbit, but it had to be a small rodent of some kind.

Just then, the prey revealed itself, small round ears poking out of the leaves as another mouse lifted its head, tail twitching. It hadn’t noticed the tom.

Skillfully, the tom got a little closer until he jumped, pouncing on his next kill and swiftly killing it in the same manner that he did the previous one. He couldn’t find a rabbit, but these two would have to do. Satisfied, Talltail picked up his two catches by the tail and began heading back.

Upon arrival, Jake and Rusty appeared within his sights, exactly where he’d left them. Jake was still soaking up the sun in his fur, the bright sunlight making his pelt look similar to a wildfire in the grass. He was breathing in a calm, gentle rhythm, but Talltail could tell he was still awake. Rusty was curled up beside him, taking a quick nap.

One of Jake’s ears flicked at the sound of approaching pawsteps and he rolled over onto his back, exposing his belly to the sun. His head tilted to the side to see his mate bounding up with two catches being proudly carried in his mouth for his family. “No rabbits this time?”

“No luck,” Talltail confirmed with a muffled mew as he brought the prey forward, dropping it beside the other two toms. His arrival awoke the sleeping kit. “I didn’t see any, though I did end up getting distracted in my own thoughts so I could have missed one.”

“Distraction isn’t like you. What were you thinking about?” Jake let out a teasing purr as he rolled back over on his stomach, bringing one of the mice over with a paw and moving to the side so he could share with his mate. Dipping his head low, the ginger tom took a bite.

Talltail settled beside him and took a bite out of the mouse as well, savoring the warm taste as he chewed the meat. “Nothing important, really,” the tom answered finally, his mouth full. “Just remembering some things.”

Sleepily, Rusty lifted himself up, stretching out the stiffness in his limbs and blinking away the tiredness. His gaze landed on the second mouse that had been caught just for him. “Thanks, dad!” 

The two toms watched as the kit gleefully padded forward with a skip in his step and tumbled with his food for a short moment, as if he had hunted it himself, before he began to eat. Talltail could remember being a kit—always so adventurous and excited about everything. Strangely competitive as well. 

Beginning to feel satisfied, Talltail moved his head away from his shared food and pushed the remainders towards Jake with a paw. “You can have the rest, I’m full.”

“You feeling okay?” Jake asked curiously, peeking a glance at his mate before he continued with his chewing, eating Talltail’s offered portion.

“Just tired is all,” Talltail mewed, letting out a yawn as if it were on cue. 

“You can’t go to sleep yet!” Rusty stood alert, having just finished his food. He left behind a scrap of bones and tufts of little rodent fur. “We haven’t gotten to play today!”

“There’s always another day, Rusty,” Talltail purred as he curled his tail around his slim body. Jake got up and moved closer to his mate, settling down beside him and pressing into his pelt. His red, bushy tail laid itself across Talltail’s back.

Rusty didn’t listen and he bounded up to his two fathers. Spotting the black and white tail, he raced towards it, pouncing on the tip as if it were a bug. He playfully grasped onto it while making sure to keep his claws sheathed. With a small flick of his tail, Talltail sent the kit rolling off and the tom let out a rumbling purr of laughter as the kit scrambled to the side, gathering himself up from the dust and soil.

“Look at you, you’re all dirty now!” Talltail teased playfully as he reached a paw over, hooking it around Rusty’s side and pulling him up to his chest. The tom began to lick through Rusty’s pelt as he gave it the grooming it deserved, cleaning it of the newly gathered dust it had picked up. 

“It’s your fault!” Rusty protested all while laughing and flailing his paws about with unsheathed claws, trying to snag onto something to peel himself away from the black and white tom’s grasp but to no luck. Defeated, Rusty stilled and laid there, allowing one of his fathers to give him a thorough cleaning.

Once Talltail had finished grooming his son, he kept his grasp on the kit as he laid his head down, Rusty held tight to his chest. “Why don’t you nap as well?”

“I’m not tired!” With his final efforts, Rusty managed to finally pry himself away from his hold. He brushed his little tail in Talltail’s face and then turned around, playfully batting at his nose. 

“Talltail,” Jake’s voice sounded, gentle with sleepiness. “Why don’t you tell Rusty about your dream you had? I think he’d like it.”

Talltail could feel himself heat up underneath his pelt when he met Rusty’s suddenly curious gaze. He had told his son a lot about WindClan and he always loved to hear more. There were some stories that he hadn’t told the young kit yet but would save for when he was older, like for example the reason why he left his Clan the first time. 

“Come on, don’t be shy!” Jake playfully swiped Talltail’s ear and then gave his cheek a small lick. “You want to hear it, don’t you, Rusty?”

“Yes!” Rusty purred happily, his tail twitching with excitement. He stared at the black and white tom with an expectant gaze. “Won’t you tell me?”

“Okay,” Talltail gave in, feeling weak when it came to the loving look his son gave him, full of wonder and innocence. He sat up, tucking his paws underneath his slim body. “I dreamt that I was in WindClan. I was leader, too. You and Jake were there, and I was giving you your apprentice ceremony.”

Rusty’s eyes opened wide with amazement. “That’s so cool! What was my name? What was my Clan name, Tallstar?”

Talltail looked at his son and gave out a purr of laughter, playfully cuffing his ear. He was surprised, and at the same time, proud that Rusty had remembered so much knowledge that he gave about the way the Clan worked. “I’d never be a leader, even if I went back now. I just don’t think I’d be fitted for it.”

“You’d be a good leader!” Rusty purred, lovingly squinting his eyes at his father. He turned to Jake. “Right, dad?”

“Rusty’s right,” Jake meowed, nuzzling his head into Talltail’s own and then laying it on his shoulder. “You never told me, either. What _was_ his name?”

Talltail observed the ecstatic kit, thoughtful. He had woken up before he had gotten the chance to assign him an actual name, but now that he was on the topic, he actually wanted to think up one. He studied the kit’s appearance, down from his blazing, green eyes that glimmered like the stars at night, to his bright, fiery, ginger pelt that shined like the sun at its highest point. “...Firepaw.”

Rusty’s eyes widened even more, sparkling with amazement. “Firepaw!” he parroted the name with a joyous chirp, puffing out his chest proudly and ruffling his fur until it stood on end to make himself more intimidating. “Firepaw! Call me that from now on!”

“Well, you wouldn’t be a ‘paw yet,” Talltail laughed, teasingly batting at the kit’s side with a gentle paw. “You’d be Firekit. You’re not at apprentice age yet. Only three more moons.”

Rusty purred and ran over to his fathers, lovingly settling down in between them. He pressed his flank into both of theirs, his bright orange mixing in with another orange pelt as well as a black and white one. Letting out a small, kitten yawn, he began to grow tired as the sun began to set, feeling worn out from his activities of the day.

Talltail and Jake both curled their bodies around their son, the two’s tails tangling as they settled down to sleep early. Jake began to drift off until he was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Talltail wasn’t too far off from joining him in the dreamy state. 

“Talltail?” Rusty’s sudden gentle mew, almost sheepish, made the black and white tom feel more awake. He made a soft, sleepy hum of acknowledgement, prompting the kitten to continue.

It took a moment before Rusty finished his sentence, his shyness obvious. “...When I’m older, will you give me my own apprentice ceremony? Will you mentor me like the cats did at your Clan?”

“I’ll give you whatever you want,” Talltail meowed warmly, his voice barely above a hushed whisper as to not awake his peaceful mate. He gently licked the top of his son’s head lovingly. “Go to sleep now, okay? We have many more moons before that’ll come.”

“Thanks, dad,” Rusty mewed softly and fell asleep purring. Talltail continued to lick his son’s head as he felt him fall into a calm sleep and the black and white tom felt himself drifting off as well, joining his family in his dreams.


End file.
